I know that the surfaces are a bit more rough on the new ones than on the vintage pieces, but mine has still worked well and over time it seems to be smoothing out.

You could try for a vintage griswold or lodge on ebay or something....but the prices are ridiculous and if you keep it for years, it should break itself in just as well. Maybe some fine sandpaper + a reseasoning might accelerate the process too.

edit: it looks like only the buy it now prices on old griswold are in the ridiculous category (and the ones for rare pieces)....but for skillets they seem fine. Really though, I'd just grab the lodge--if you have amazon prime, you could be making corn bread in no time

I know that the surfaces are a bit more rough on the new ones than on the vintage pieces, but mine has still worked well and over time it seems to be smoothing out.

You could try for a vintage griswold or lodge on ebay or something....but the prices are ridiculous and if you keep it for years, it should break itself in just as well. Maybe some fine sandpaper + a reseasoning might accelerate the process too.

edit: it looks like only the buy it now prices on old griswold are in the ridiculous category (and the ones for rare pieces)....but for skillets they seem fine. Really though, I'd just grab the lodge--if you have amazon prime, you could be making corn bread in no time

if you're not looking to spend much lodge is an excellent deal, but the bolded is one reason why someone would want to look elsewhere. the surface is too pebbly as they dont machine finish it and it smoothes out over time, but not fully. pebbly surface means not as efficient heat transfer. no amount of seasoning is going to make the surface perfectly smooth.

vintage wagner or griswald on ebay is also a good idea.

iwachu is fantastic. forged cast iron unlike lodge. handmade by artisans. more attention to detail. better finishing. will last you several generations.

Lodge is kind of the American standard these days - made right here in Tennessee - but its true, the surfaces on the two I own aren't as smooth as those the Lodge stuff that my grandmother and mother (got half of her cast iron pans from her grandmother) own.

But as someone else mentioned - is it worth it to pay three times as much for a slightly smoother skillet? Is your cooking that marginal that the grain on the skillet will make or break ya?

EDIT: WTF am I even bothering? This is Styleforum. Of course it's worth it. My own skillet was cast by a Japanese katana maker from iron used in the original suit of armor worn by Errol Flynn in the movie "But Daddy, Pirates are Attacking!". It cost me $1,980, but my student loan/trust fund/parent's check covered that easily. My pancakes taste so much better because of it. Pancakes.

But as someone else mentioned - is it worth it to pay three times as much for a slightly smoother skillet? Is your cooking that marginal that the grain on the skillet will make or break ya?

EDIT: WTF am I even bothering? This is Styleforum. Of course it's worth it. My own skillet was cast by a Japanese katana maker from iron used in the original suit of armor worn by Errol Flynn in the movie "But Daddy, Pirates are Attacking!". It cost me $1,980, but my student loan/trust fund/parent's check covered that easily. My pancakes taste so much better because of it. Pancakes.

For a very long time I thought everyone got their skillets from grandma.

If you're thinking about buying a skillet, blue or mineral steel is basically the same as cast iron. The pans will be a little lighter and so easier to use. I buy mine from Fante's in Philly. Williams-Sonoma has them, and any decent restaurant supply will have a selection. They come unseasoned.

But as someone else mentioned - is it worth it to pay three times as much for a slightly smoother skillet? Is your cooking that marginal that the grain on the skillet will make or break ya?

EDIT: WTF am I even bothering? This is Styleforum. Of course it's worth it. My own skillet was cast by a Japanese katana maker from iron used in the original suit of armor worn by Errol Flynn in the movie "But Daddy, Pirates are Attacking!". It cost me $1,980, but my student loan/trust fund/parent's check covered that easily. My pancakes taste so much better because of it. Pancakes.

But as someone else mentioned - is it worth it to pay three times as much for a slightly smoother skillet? Is your cooking that marginal that the grain on the skillet will make or break ya?

EDIT: WTF am I even bothering? This is Styleforum. Of course it's worth it. My own skillet was cast by a Japanese katana maker from iron used in the original suit of armor worn by Errol Flynn in the movie "But Daddy, Pirates are Attacking!". It cost me $1,980, but my student loan/trust fund/parent's check covered that easily. My pancakes taste so much better because of it. Pancakes.